Despite their past leadership roles in Washington, both candidates in the U.S. Senate race for have made an effort to downplay parts of their records that may not be appealing to North Carolina voters.
In fact, both of them have assumed stances on issues opposite the positions they took while they worked in the Beltway.
Republican candidate Elizabeth Dole served as secretary of transportation under President Ronald Reagan, and also worked as secretary of labor in the first George Bush administration. Erskine Bowles was President Bill Clinton's chief of staff.
Bowles worked hard to persuade Congress to grant Clinton "fast track" Trade Authority in 1998. If Congress had renewed the authority, it would have allowed the president to negotiate trade deals with foreign countries prior to Congressional approval. Such trade deals could affect North Carolina workers, particularly those in the textile industry. Now, Bowles says he opposes fast rack and thinks Congress made a mistake when it passeda similar resolution for President George W. Bush.
"I oppose the fast track legislation that Dole supports," Bowles said in the Senate debate. He said too many cheap foreign goods are entering the United States, both legally and illegally, and the competition is costing North Carolina workers their jobs. In a statement, he said that "open trade agreements must be tough-minded, strictly enforced and designed to take care of workers who are affected."
Similarly, Dole opposed the Family Medical Leave Act as secretary of labor, but she now supports it. The Act, passed in 1993, currently provides temporary unpaid leave for workers who have serious illness, are nursing a child or have a sick family member.
In explaining her switch, Dole said the economic situation was different when she spoke against the bill, and
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